Darker Cinders Dances Through Ashes of Blitz

16 Thursday, January 4, 2018 The Gazette WHAT’SON Darker Cinders dances through ashes of Blitz MATTHEW BOURNE’S CINDERELLA Judith Abrahams sees SADLER’S WELLS ★★★★★ the classic fairytale transformed into a dark The music is by Prokofiev but romantic fable set amid Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at Sadlers Wells could not be the devastation of war further removed from the familiar fairy tale setting. torn London In this Cinderella the action takes place in London during World War II. The prologue is a cinema is so miserable. Until the fairy with a flickering black and white godfather, (Liam Mower) here screen of Pathé News 1940. called The Angel, complete with Moments later we meet the platinum hair and white satin occupants of an upper-middle suit leaps from the mantelpiece. class home: petite, bespectacled Act II features the bombing of Cinderella (Ashley Shaw), moving the Café de Paris. During the Blitz with exquisite fluidity in pleated in March 1941 the club received a CINDERELLA by Prokofiev ; Directed by Mathew Bourne ; Designed by Lez Brotherston ; at the Sadlers Wells Theatre, London, skirt and demure cardigan; her direct hit, killing or injuring over Picture: JOHAN PERSSON sad father, confined to a 100 people. Designer Lez wheelchair; the over-dressed and Brotherston’s coup de théâtre London. We also encounter the Bourne. accompanied (just as in the old coiffured stepsisters, the creepy brilliantly makes this happen in London underground, prostitutes “The Cinderella story seemed to movies) by a recording of a large stepbrothers. The alcoholic reverse, and the smoking remains plying their trade, a convalescence work so well in the wartime orchestra. Prokofiev’s score here stepmother (Michela Meazza), a of the nightclub are magically home and finally, Paddington setting. Darkly romantic in tone, comes complete with Dolby cross between Cruella De Vil and transformed into high society Station. it speaks of period when love was surround sound and added air Joan Crawford, slithers elegance. “Lez Brotherston, the company fond and lost suddenly and the raid siren. seductively and vamps it up like Harry, The Pilot (Andrew and I spent many hours world danced as if there was no The closing jitterbug as the crazy... to magnificent effect. Monaghan), is the prince, researching the period and tomorrow. curtain came down was a triumph The nasty women, clutching desperately seeking the owner of characters through old movies, Stunning sets, fabulous 40’s of choreography combined with their invitations like trophies, the glittery shoe amidst the documentaries and public costumes, hugely talented and very, very loud music.... and the taunt poor Cinders for whom life devastated streets of central information films’’ explained energetic dancers are audience loved it. Theatre HAMILTON Founding Fathers. Hamilton is his temperamental opposite VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE likened to a contemporary frenemy, Aaron Burr, as is ★★★★★ rapper, writing his way out of a Obioma Ugoala’s monumental bad situation, in this origin but wistful Washington, Jason In the US, Lin-Manuel story of our multicultural Pennycooke’s hyperactive diva Miranda’s musical Hamilton society. It’s a genius way of Thomas Jefferson, Michael transcended theatre to blowing the dust off history – Jibson’s hilarious but become a phenomenon. Does it and a reminder that subjective psychopathic George III – whose live up to the hype, and will it storytellers shape our kiss-off sounds like the EU succeed here? Yes and yes. relationship to the past. addressing Brexit Britain – It’s universal subjects, Miranda’s work, together Rachelle Ann Go’s powerful national identity crisis, with Alex Lacamoire’s Eliza, and Rachel John’s parenthood, sex scandals and orchestrations, is exceptionally lightning-fast thinker, and political rivalries, and beyond textured: double meanings, rapper, Angelica. that, it’s just a blisteringly internal rhymes, echoes and Director Thomas Kail and great night out. reprises, plus the sexiest choreographer Andy discussion of comma placement Blankenbuehler brilliantly use Alexander Hamilton was a ever. But in the moment, it’s the ensemble to power the story, penniless orphan who came to pure entertainment: cabinet backed by a relatively simple set Revolutionary New York from debates as rap battles, courtship from David Korins, and the Caribbean – an immigrant as smooth R&B. Cameron Mackintosh’s striver, which has particular The charismatic recent RADA marvellously restored theatre. resonance now. He was George graduate Jamael Westman leads Might this game-changing Washington’s right-hand man, a sensational British company. show turn the industry “upside contributing to independence, He keeps Hamilton’s childhood down”, in revolutionary creating a banking system and trauma fresh: barely suppressed fashion? There are niggles, like defending the new constitution. rage and a relentless sense of the downplaying of slavery, but Miranda’s 2015 sung-through mortality beneath the Hamilton’s joy in creation and show blends musical theatre articulate, dangerously belief in a positive legacy are with hip-hop, and casts arrogant rebel. irresistible. non-white actors as the Giles Terera is masterful as Marianka Swain.

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